Results 541-560 of 5,911 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to address the question of waiting lists for orthodontic services. He mentioned the case of a young lady awaiting treatment and if he sends me the details, I will pass them to the Minister as well. The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have the greatest level of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I have heard the Deputy's comments from across the Chamber and I assure him that the Minister and I appreciate the difficulties experienced by young people waiting for orthodontic care. As I outlined to the House, the Department and the HSE are undertaking a number of initiatives to address the question of waiting lists for orthodontic care. The Government is committed in the coming years...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Investigations (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Deputy has raised issues with regard to risk assessment. I will bring them to the attention of the Minister. The Government and the Department of Health remain fully committed to improving services in Limerick and throughout the country. It is clear that after what has been a very difficult couple of years at University Hospital Limerick, significant efforts are now being made to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Investigations (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I acknowledge his interest in University Hospital Limerick and the important role it plays in delivering healthcare in the mid-west region. We are all familiar with the difficulties faced by University Hospital Limerick. It was because of these difficulties the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, visited the hospital in February....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address the issue of dental services for medical card holders. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. Dental services for children up to 16 years of age are provided by the public dental service of the HSE through its dental clinics. These services are provided to eligible children and do not depend on...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I have listened to Senator Murphy and his colleagues across the Chamber, and I assure him that the Minister appreciates the difficulties experienced by people accessing healthcare and is providing solutions. As mentioned, additional funding has been provided to resolve current problems with access to the dental treatment services scheme. The HSE has also been taking action to resolve the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank Senator Cassells for raising the matter of the plans to reconfigure services at Navan hospital’s emergency department. Navan is one of nine hospitals that were designated as model 2 hospitals under the smaller hospitals framework, which was approved by the Government in 2013. Navan is the last of these nine hospitals to undergo transition to a model 2 hospital. Currently,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for his contribution. There is a shared concern to ensure that patients in Meath, the north east or any other part of the country can access the services they need. That is a core element of the planning for the reconfiguration at Navan. These concerns must be addressed. More widely, access and quality are core to the Government's unprecedented investment in the health...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I would like to thank Senator Currie for the opportunity to address the Seanad to talk about the Dublin canal loop greenway. The programme for Government sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging set of commitments on walking and cycling and has committed that over €360 million in cross-government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Greenways Provision (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I again thank the Senator for her contribution to this discussion. With regard to the wider active travel measures being promoted by the Government, this year has seen another increase in the Department of Transport's overall funding for cycling and walking, in line with the Government’s prioritisation of active travel and greenways. We saw the increasing number of people opting to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, who is regrettably unavailable. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides the Minister with the opportunity to clarify the current position in relation to school places in the Kildare and Newbridge area for the school year 2022-23. The Senator mentioned the lack of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I will convey the Senator O'Loughlin's request that the Minister ensures engagement between the Minister, her Department, and the relevant patron and principal of the school will continue or is enhanced. This engagement is focused on ensuring that the start of the 2022-2023 school year operates as smoothly as possible for all students, their families and staff. The Department seems to be...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, who is regrettably unavailable. I thank Senator McGahon for raising that matter as it provides the Minister with the opportunity to outline the current position regarding the accommodation needs of Monksland National School in Carlingford, County Louth, and the Government's firm...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. Monksland National School submitted an ASA application in March 2022 requesting funding for refurbishment of rooms to accommodate an SEN class sanctioned by the NCSE. Further information was requested from the school by officials in the Department of Education in relation to this application and was received in April 2022. The school's...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The Deputy certainly feels very strongly about this. I am aware of the many offshore islands but I do not have a list of what islands are involved, although I am sure the Deputy has a fair idea himself.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: I have noted the Deputy’s comments and I will raise those points with the Minister and the Department. Careful consideration is being given to any change that could substantially alter the contracts and put private operators at a disadvantage. However, the Deputy has raised some pertinent points regarding the islands. There is also the fact of the logistical issues for people...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Deputy outlined the various issues regarding contracts, transport costs, islander rates, the Attorney General giving legal advice and the ferries between Ros an Mhíl and Doolin. The sustainability of the communities on our offshore islands is a core objective of the Government, as the Deputy knows, and is set out in its Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, Our Rural Future. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Equality Issues (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Department of Health and the HSE are committed to adhering to health care standards. As this is a healthcare service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Programme for Government commits to create and implement a general health policy for Trans people, based on a best-practice model for care, in line with the World Professional Association of Transgender Healthcare (WPATH) and deliver a framework for the development of national gender clinics and multidisciplinary teams for children and adults. The HSE is committed to developing services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (28 Jun 2022)

Frank Feighan: The Programme for Government, 2020 commits to providing free contraception for women, starting with the 17-25 age cohort.  My Department's Contraception Implementation Group was convened in July, 2021 and has been working with partners, including the HSE, towards ensuring that the scheme will commence in Q3, 2022. Funding of approximately €9m has been allocated for this in...